Game-table.



- v Patented Feb. I8, 1902. R. F. DOWNEY.

GAME TABLE. (Apvlicatiou filed my 4. 1901.)

(No Model.)

THE wanna PETERS 00.. vncTa-umo" wunmmdu. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD F. DOWNEY, OF MENOMINEE, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE AUTOMATIC PORTABLE BOWLING ALLEY COMPANY, OF MENOMINEE,

MICHIGAN.

GAM E-TABLE.

SPEGiFICATION forming part of Letters Patent no. 693,382, dated February 18, 1902. Application filed May 4, 1901- Serial No. 58,699. (No model.)

To a'ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD F. DOWNEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Menominee, in the county of Menominee and State of Michigan, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Game-Tables; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention has especial reference to tables for games played with billiard -balls, such as pin-pool and the like; andit consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combination of parts of the game-table whereby the latter is adapted for the automatic spotting of the balls, as well as for the adj ustment of the pins when same are used, all as will be more fully set forth hereinafter in connection with the accompanying drawings and subsequently claimed.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of a game-table embodying my present invention, taken on the line 1 l of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan view of said table, partly broken away to better illustrate certain details of construction. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, also partly broken away for like purpose.

Referring to the drawings, a represents the top of the table, set, as shown, at an inclined plane, being highest atthe front end and surrounded by an upward-extending frame or rail, which is provided *with end and side cushions b, the latter of which are shown as extending back only part way from the higher to the lower end of the table. Beneath the top a is a flooring c, which extends from end to end and inclines in the opposite direction from the said top, this flooring serving as a support for troughs or rails which constitute runways d for the balls e e, as hereinafter explained. From the forward or lower ends of these runways d open-ended tubes f extend upward and coincide with openings g in the top a of like diameter, the said tubes at their junction with the runways d being cutaway, as shown, to admit the passage therein of the said balls, and certain of these tubes projecting downward through openings in the flooring 0, corresponding in location to the open= ings g in the top a. Suspended from hang ers adjacent to the rear end of the table and beneath the flooring c is the transverse journal h of a skeleton frame e', to the forward portion of which frame are shackled or otherwise loosely connected the upward-project ing plugsj, which fit within the tubesf, said plugs having slight concavities in their tops serving to center or spot the balls e when the said plugs have been raised within the said tubes to a levelwith thetop a, as shown in Fig. 3, which is done by depressing the rear or lever end of the said skeleton frame 71, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and when the lever end of said frametisthus depressed a pawl is, pivoted, as shown at Z, beneath the rear end of the flooring 0, falls by gravity to a vertical position, and thereby locks the skeleton frame i in the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, thus holding the plugs j in their fully-raised positions. The forward end of the frame 7 is supported by a spring m, which passes through a hole in the flooring c and is secured to the under side of the top a. I

A series of pins n n have cords 0 secured to their under surfaces, which cords pass downward through holes. in the top a and flooring c and carry Weights p at their lower ends, the skeleton frame i'being fitted with trays qjto receive said weights when the front end of the said frame is raised, as hereinbefore described.

The rear end of the top a is formed with a series of holes r r therethrough, close to the rail or end board at that end, corresponding in number to the number of runways din any case and of a size to freely admit the balls 8 from the top to said runways, and beneath the top, at this point, is a slide 8, supported so as to close or open the passage-way for said balls, as desired, .the said slide being connected to springs 25, which normally hold the slide in the closed position, and there being a push-pin u projecting backward from said slide through the adjacent end board, so that at any time the said slide may be pushed forwardagainst the force of the springs tto open the passage-way.

The operation of my game-table will be readily understood from the foregoing description of its construction, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. In the illustration given it will be understood that four billiard-balls e are spotter or centered in the slight concavities in the tops of the elevated plugs j, (the said plug-tops and the table-top (6 being covered with any suitable felt or billiard-cloth, if preferred.) In addition three pins 77. are indicated. The game is played with additional balls and ones, as is customary in pool or billiards, such not being here shown. As soon as one of the described balls e is dislodged from place it rolls down to the lower rear end of the table against the end board, and when any of the pins 07. are knocked down the same simply lies on its side, because the weighted cord 0 is slaeked on account of the'front end of the frame 1; being raised, as already described. When any required number of the balls 8 have rolled down to the lower end of the table and it is necessary to again spot same, the said balls are placed by hand within the proper holes 0 that communicate with the runways d of the balls to be spotted and the push-pin a forced inward, when the said balls will drop into their respective runways and travel down to the ends thereof. The gravity-pawl 7c is pushed inward and the lever of the skeleton frame 7) raised, which willfserve to depress the plugs j, as shown in Fig. 1, and the balls e will enter the tubes f through the lateral openings in said tubes and rest on the top of plugs j in the described concavities therein, as also shown in said Fig. 1. It-then becomes only necessary to depress the rear lever end of the frame 1', which will raise the plugsf and the balls carried thereby to the level of the tabletop Ct, the pawl 7t again dropping by gravity, so as to lock the frame I; in this position, and the balls e are thus automatically spotted in proper position for the resumption of the game. If any of the pins or have been upset in the play, these are automatically restored to position when the lever or rear end of the frame 1' is raised, as this action depressed the front end of said frame, the trays q of which had supported the weights 1) at the ends of the slackened cords o, and hence as the said trays are depressed the weightsp draw down on the cords 0 and render them taut, which automatically pull the pins 17. into the upright position, and when the said front end of' the frame is again raised, carrying the weights with it, this will merely again slacken the cords 0, but will not have any effect on the pins, which remain vertical until again knocked down in the further playing of the game.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a garlic-table, the combination with an inclined top, having side and end rails, and formed with a series of openings through said top adjacent to the higher end thereof, and a series of other openings adjacent to the lower end of said top; of a flooring or support beneath said top, inclined in the opposite direction, and formed with openings therethrough in line with those in the higher end of said top, and a series of runways leading from beneath the openings at the lower end of said top to points in line with the openings at the opposite end; a series of open-ended vertically -disposed tubes, communicating with the last-named openings in the said top and fiooring,and having lateral openings communicating with said runways; a longitudinal frame pivotally suspended beneath said flooring and having plugs loosely connected thereto and arranged for vertical movement within said tubes; and a series of balls of proper diameter to travel through the openings and tubes described.

2. In a game-table, the combination with an inclined top, having side and end rails, and formed with a series of openings, through said top adjacent to the higher end thereof, and a series of other openings adjacent to the lower end of said top; of a flooring or support beneath said top, inclined in the opposite direction, and formed with openings therethrough in line with those in the higher end of said top, and a series of runways leading from beneath the openings at the lower end of said top to points in line with the openings at the opposite end; a series of openended vertically-disposed tubes,communicating with the last-named openings in the said top and flooring, and having lateral openings communicating with said runways; a longitudinal frame pivotally suspended beneath said flooring, and having a lever at its rear end, and a counterbalancing-spring at its front end; a gravity-pawl for engaging and locking said lever; a spring-controlled slide supported beneath the openings at the rear end of said top; a series of plugslooselyconnected to said pivotally-suspended frame, and arranged for vertical movement within said tubes; and a series of balls of proper diameter to travel through the openings and tubes described.

3. In a game-table, the combination with. a top having side and end rails, and formed with a series of openings through said top adjacent to one end thereof, of a frame pivotally supported beneath said top, and carrying a series of trays or supporting-surfaces in line with and beneath said openings in the top; a series of pins,having cords secured to their under surfaces which cords pass through said openings, and a series of weights attached to the free ends of said cords.

4. In a game-table, the combination with an inclined top, having side and end rails, and formed with series of openings through the said top, at the opposite ends thereof; a ranged for travel below and through said seriesofnrunways arrangedbeneath-said top and inclinedin" opposite direction thereto, each runway extending from a point beneath one of the rear openings to a point beneath one of the front openings'in said top; openended vertical tubes connecting the front ends-0f the runwayswith said front openings in the t0p,and having lateral openings communicating with said runways; a frame pivotally suspended beneath said runways, and

having plugs loosely connected thereto artubes; and a series of-balls of proper "diameter to travel throughtheopenings and tubes described.

In testimony that I-claim the foregoing I havehereunto set my-hand, at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of W isconsin in'the presence oftwowitnesses. RICHARD F. D'OW'NEY. Witnesses:

H. G. UNDERWOOD, B. C. ROLOFF. 

